Abstract

Despite the continuous academic interest toward the concept of market orientation, there is still a need for research that explores how it is implemented in organizations. This study is based on an inquiry of a global, professional high-tech organization. The methodology of the study is action research which enables a close access to data and an insider’s perspective combined with theoretical relevance and analytical rigor. We analyze the process of implementing market orientation in the case organization and as a result, present a stage model. Through data analysis, we identify four stages: 1) initiation of change, 2) building commitment, 3) building understanding through institutionalization and 4) maintenance. The study contributes by increasing theoretical insight on the creation of market orientation with a real empirical case that has been studied longitudinally. The study has implications for theory and practice, yielding also methodological insights for studying the implementation of market orientation in the future.

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